Editorial/Commentary
Time to End “Not in Our Town” Mentality
By Trevor Phipps
Now that the prime season in Teller County has arrived, I hope everyone has been enjoying all of the summertime festivities across the local high country just like I have.
In fact, it is a good idea to embrace all of your local events because due to recent actions made by the Woodland Park City Council, several event organizers could start avoiding the city like the plague.
It is unlikely that all summer events will leave the area, but there is a good chance that many of the beloved annual gatherings enjoyed by residents and tourists alike will be waving goodbye to the City Above the Clouds. If the current wave of deterring local events continues, Woodland Park will be stuck above the clouds squinting its eyes and trying to get a glimpse through the fog of what is happening in neighboring towns.
For decades, the Teller County region has attracted masses with their hefty “Summer of Fun” event lineup. The cooler summertime temperatures compared to the cities in the Front Range often attract people from across the state and beyond.
Because the summer in our beloved high country is short, once the weather finally warms up people get excited to be out and about. The events come during the best time of the year when the Ute Pass region fills up with snowbirds and tourists ready to see what the area has to offer.
If you ask anyone who owns or operates a business locally, they will tell you that the three-month summer season is their bread and butter. Most seasoned business owners in Woodland Park and beyond know that they make most of their money in the summer months. The summertime, peppered with a variety of events, also provides a way for them to survive the slower winter season.
Events not only give something for the locals to do and attract those from lands far, far away. They are basically essential for local businesses to succeed. The bottom line is: If you want the convenience of having businesses and services locally without having to endure the heat and trek down the Pass, then our local government representatives need to do more to encourage local events, and not to act as a deterring element.
Council’s Anti-Disc Golf Tourney/Music Fest Stand
During a recent council meeting, I was shocked when some of the council members launched a verbal battle against an annual event at the Shining Mountain Golf Course, which has taken place since 2019. For the last five years, Shining Mountain’s disc golf course has attracted tournaments like the Frizzen Disc Golf Tournament and Music Festival, where people flood to the city and camp out all weekend in late August.
In the past, the event-goers have camped in the national forest neighboring the golf course, but this year they asked for permission to camp inside city limits. At first, I thought the agenda item would be simple and fast since there are other events that allow temporary campers within the city. But I was wrong.
The council brought up a slew of concerns ranging from fire mitigation to sound complaints, to alcohol consumption. One council member even said that she heard complaints from residents who live seven miles away, which is pretty much scientifically impossible.
When the golf course’s new general manager approached the podium, he was unnecessarily drilled by the council, and then even forced to camp out during the entire event.
The manager explained the event to council and the background of the noise complaints the city has received. He said that the noise complaints were not related to the live music, but to noise made by attendees.
When this issue came to a vote, the council at first wanted to ban camping and force the event to shutter two hours earlier than planned. In the end, the majority of the council had a change of heart.
By a slim 4-3 margin, the council voted to allow camping, but forced the live music part of the festival to terminate at 10 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. Therefore, the 9th Annual Frizzen Disc Golf Tournament and Music Festival will take place mostly as planned from August 23-25.
But the back lash by the council still concerned me along with another issue surrounding city noise ordinances. This topic was briefly discussed and sent to a public hearing during the next council meeting. The city is proposing to implement decibel restrictions within the city for the first time ever. (see related article).
Even though decibel limits are commonplace in most big cities, make stricter rules regarding noise could add yet another hurdle for event organizers to jump over. Some might choose to take their events elsewhere rather than be forced to monitor the sound volume of their event. Maybe, our city leaders need to take a trip to Cripple Creek, Manitou Springs or even Green Mountain Falls to see how events can help generate more commerce and attract more visitors.
I believe government representatives should change their attitudes and become more welcoming to local events. I have heard rumors that the Salute to American Veterans Rally and the Cruise Above the Clouds could be leaving the city as soon as next year, if the political climate in Woodland Park does not change
